Improvement in cotton-presses



, in s UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES H. LANGILL, or LAWSONVILLE, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,683, dated November18, 1879 application filed June 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, CHARLES H. LANGILL, ofLawsonville, in the county of Rusk and State of Texas, have invented anew and use ful Improvement in Cotton-Presses, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a press particularly adapted for pressing cottoninto bales; and it consists, first, in having two screws, onerighthanded and the other left-handed, nuts thereon being moved bywormgears, irito which work two worms of opposite spirals, incombination with friction rollers revolving on studs fixed in ringsbetween the nuts and bearto reduce the friction arising from the endwisethrust; secondly, in the arrangement of the box and combination of thesame with the screws, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a press embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 1 l of Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Four posts, A, and four cross-pieces, B, form the main portion of theframe-work. The box in which the cotton is to be pressed has the upperportion, 0, of sides rigidly fixed in reference to each other and to theframe-work, being further supported by cross-bars D. The lower portionof the box has the four sides E and F, which are, by hingesa and b,hinged to the upper portion, as shown, so as to swing outward. The twosides E extend and have cleats c to shut over the sides F. Bars G, whichare attached to the frame by the double hinges d, embrace, when swungup, the sides E at their ends, and hold these sides in place,

- to form, with the sides F, the lower portion of the box. The bottom Sof the box is pivoted at 0, so that it may be swung downward, and

when raisedtto complete the box is held in place and against thepressure by braces H, which swing as buttons on pivots at f.

The pressure is obtained by means of two screws, .I, one right-handedand the other lefthanded, bearing against the plate or platen J.

The nuts K for these screws have connected fixedly with them theworm-gears L, which are fitted to be revolved by the worms M. Theseworms are of opposite spirals, and are fixed on the one driving-shaft N.

Between the nuts K and the supports 0, which receive the end-thrust ofthe nuts when the pressure is given, are rollers P. These rollers areheld in place in reference to each other by and revolve on studs g,fixed in rings R.

The parts being arranged as described and shown, the operation is asfollows: The sides E and F and bottom S being closed and held by thecleats 0, bars G, and braces H, and the shaft N being revolved by powerfrom any suitablesource, the nuts K will be revolved, pressing thescrews I and the platen J downward, and the cotton placed within the boxwill be compressed. Owing to the worms M being spiral in oppositedirections, the endthrust exerted on one will be balanced by that on theother, and there will be no emLthrust to the shaft N. The rollers P willgreatly reduce the friction between the nuts K and the bearings 0, whichreceive their end-thrust, thus reducing the power necessary to operatethe machine and the wear and tear.

After the cotton is pressed and formed into a bale and bound, by simplydropping the bottom and releasing and swinging outward the sides E andF, the bale may be quickly and readily removed, and the box thereuponreadily closed to compress another bale.

I claim as my invention- A cotton-press having screws I, nuts K,bearings 0, and rings It, having studs 9 fixed therein, which keep inplace, and on which revolve the rollers P, in combination with the boxformed of the upper portion, 0, of fixed sides arid the lower portion ofthe hinged sides E and F, held by the cleats c and bars. Gr, attached bythe double hinges d, and bottom S, held by the braces H, pivoted at f,substantially as hereinbefore described.

CHARLES H. LANGILL.

Witnesses B. F. MONTGOMERY, 0. L. FALKNER.

